Brand ‘Windsor’: The importance of branding when it comes to naming the royal baby, and the associations of each name! / Rhiannon Price, Northstar Research Partners

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have ended days of speculation by deciding on a name for their infant son – George Alexander Louis.  HRH Prince George of Cambridge, the third-in-line to the throne, is set to be known as King George VII when he one day becomes king.

The couple’s decision on the name – the bookies’ favourite – was announced Wednesday evening, two days and two hours after the new heir was born.  It happened quickly by historical standards – it took a week for the name of the new prince’s father to be revealed to the world and a month before the public found out his grandfather was called Prince Charles.

Here is a fascinating piece by Rhiannon Price, Research Director at Northstar Research Partners, (written before the name was announced) on the importance of branding when it comes to naming the royal baby, and the associations of each name!

Brand ‘Windsor’: Naming the Future King

What’s in a name? A lot apparently given the time Wills and Kate are taking naming their new bundle of joy. However, perhaps they also realise that a name is the cornerstone of a brand and given the Royal family’s popularity is at an all time high, protecting the Windsor brand has never been so important. They aren’t just naming their new baby boy, they are naming the future king and the next generation of royals that will cement the new values they have introduced to the monarchy.

So, what are their options? Regardless of how revolutionary they are as a royal couple, they are still likely to adhere to a traditional name from William’s blood line. The bets are on the following names, but what attributes do their choices imbue on brand Windsor?

• #1 George – Brave father of the Queen who acquired the role of king from his abdicating brother and overcame a stutter to win over the nation. Would instil trust, performance and innovativeness (also helped by links to mad King George as they do say there is a link between creativity and madness!)
• #2 James – James I once exclaimed ‘God’s wounds! I will pull down my breeches and they shall see my arse!. We’ve had enough of that with Harry, thanks.
• #3  George- Means ‘Defender of men’ and Alexander III of Scotland was grandson of William the Lion. This name is laden with strength…and might also encourage Scotland to like us again.
• #4 Louis – X factor. Do I need another reason?
• #5 Henry – the most famous was Henry VIII, womaniser (we can arguably see the evidence here with Harry too) manipulator and murderer. More The Sun than ‘the son’. Slightly too far left of the brand bullseye one would say.
• #6 Albert: married to Queen Victoria, never actually a ‘real’ king – risks being seen as a fake and not the real deal. Opens up a whole can of worms surrounding quality, build and craftsmanship (also conjures up images of Eastenders and Kat Moon’s fake tan). He might break before he wins a battle.

Rhiannon Price, Research Director at Northstar Research

Since joining Northstar in 2004, Rhiannon has conducted a variety of studies – large and small, international and domestic – with a range of clients including, Toyota, Jaguar, DHL, Total, Publicis, Navteq and Lexicon branding. Rhiannon is trained in both qualitative and quantitative research, but her academic background in linguistics, including social and behavioural motivations for language use, means her interest lies particularly with qualitative research and immersing herself in amongst ‘the customer’.

During her time as a researcher, Rhiannon has developed an expertise in communications and nomenclature research where she enjoys the challenge of unshackling findings from their research environment. She also thrives on managing multimarket studies and bringing global findings together for her clients. When the bell rings, Rhiannon continues her quest to find the best Italian around – even if this means leaving Blighty once in a while.